Here’s an interesting wrinkle in the Streaming Wars. What happens when the most popular artists start pulling their music?
Taylor Swift is basically the biggest musician in the world this week, and that means shes in the rare position of being able to do whatever she wants. Part of that, it appears, is pulling all of her music off of Spotify, likely in an attempt to drive sales of her new album, 1989, as well as her earlier albums.
via Taylor Swift has removed all of her albums from Spotify | The Verge.
And another good link from The Daily Beast
And where are they turning? To iTunes or to Beats, both soon to be the same apparatus, one that has never had to rely on profits from music sales thanks to the cushion provided by the tech giant. This allows for artist compensation based on revenue rather than royalty, as Spotify does. It’s a safe bet for Swift, one with a soft landing and almost no risk. And one that gives her the moral high ground.